North 24 Parganas

After visiting West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, National Commission for Women's (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Coming down heavily on CM Banerjee over the events in North 24 Parganas' Sandeshkhali, the NCW Chairperson said that the former should visit the affected area without any post to understand the pain of the victims.

Talking to the reporters, Chairperson Sharma said, "She (Mamata Banerjee) should resign and come here without any post, only then will she understand the pain of the women here."

After visiting the area, the NCW Chairperson said that the women living there have been harassed and the situation is bad.

"The women of Sandeshkhali have been harassed. I haven't seen so much pain before. They are scared, and the situation here is bad. Women are crying in front of me. I was here the whole day. The people living here are sending their young daughters to live somewhere else out of fear," Sharma said.

Advocating the call for the imposition of the President's rule in the state, Sharma said, "I don't think anything will happen here without the President's rule. I came with the women victims to the police station to register the complaint, they were not ready to come to the police station without me. Today I have copies of 18 complaints, including 2 rapes and serious molestation."

West Bengal's Sandeshkhali area has been witnessing massive unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.

Meanwhile, state BJP president Sukanta Mazumdar on Monday said that the party would hold a 72-hour long protest in the coming days demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan amid the turmoil in the state over the Sandeshkhali violence.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mazumdar said, "We will hold a minimum 72-hour long protest in the coming days demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan. The probable day of protest is February 22."

Training guns at Mamata Banerjee for accusing BJP of instigating violence in the state, Majumdar said that Mamata Banerjee should be a little more sensitive towards the women in the state and refrain from making such statements.

"The way she (Mamata Banerjee) is making irresponsible statements, being a woman Chief Minister, she should be a little more sensitive. Women of Sandeshkhali are saying that there have been atrocities against them. How is the BJP responsible for this?

Firstly, the TMC was in a complete denial mode of any violence in the state and now they are making arrests in the same case," he said.

Notably, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee proceedings against West Bengal senior officials in the matter relating to the Sandeshkhali protest.

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for WB's senior officials, mentioned the plea before a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and apprised them of the facts related to the matter.

The Privileges Committee notice came on a complaint filed by BJP Member of Parliament Sukanta Majumdar for alleged misconduct, brutality, and causing life-threatening injuries by the police officials and district administration of Basirhat, North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal.

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West Bengal's Sandeshkhali area has been witnessing massive unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.